California bills aim to place curbs on drone operations

The California senate has passed three bills, including two that place restrictions on the flying of drones over prisons or county jails and schools in the state, amid criticism of the over-regulation of drones.

“Drones offer many fantastic uses for society, but dropping porn, drugs and guns into our prisons and jails is not one of them,” said Senator Patricia Bates, a Republican from Laguna Niguel, in a statement.

Senate Bill 271 makes it illegal to fly drones at certain heights over kindergarten to grade 12 public schools during school hours. It also makes it illegal to capture images of the campus during school hours or extracurricular activities.

Both SB 170 and SB 271 have been sent to the governor for approval, according to Bates.

Current regulations for model aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration limit flying of drones by hobbyists to a maximum of 400 feet, which will evidently limit the corridor through which drones will be able to fly in California to between 350 to 400 feet, if the bill becomes law.

The FAA has also proposed rules earlier this year for commercial drones that would place a limit of 500 feet on their flying altitude.

But states have pushed ahead with their own legislation on drones. In 2015, 45 states have considered 156 bills related to drones, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The nonprofit Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is, offering a tool on its website for residents to ask Governor Brown to veto Bill 142, as the organizations holds that the rules could impact the state's technology industry, which includes over 100 FAA-approved drone operating companies.

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